All hell broke loose.
When I say all hell broke loose, I mean that I unleashed hell all over the bowels of the demon.
And unleashing hell in bowels is never a good thing.
In hell…or wherever I might be.
Spinning in circles that somehow managed to avoid me as it fired, the sentry drone began to blast invisible beams of force that scythed through the demonic tendrils like my powersaw.
Only from a distance.
It’s not often that someone wielding a powersaw is envious, but the truth is the truth.
And sometimes it hurts.
Especially for the demon on the receiving end of it.
Not to be outdone, but failing miserably, I fired volley after volley of kinetic force from my assault cannon. The resulting holes riddling the demon’s hide afforded small windows looking out onto absolute darkness.
The shoulder-mounted cannon lobbed gelatinous globs of neon goop that melted through the demon’s skin, leaving irregular voids far larger than those left by my kinetic bullets.
Charging forward toward the demon’s head, swinging my saw to clear space while I aimed behind, I began to fire the assault rifle’s secondary barrel as well. The gelatinous globs ignited in iridescent flames with each shot.
With any luck, if it was not already doomed by all the damage it had taken, the demon would burn up from within.
I was going to do my best to ensure that happened.
But first, I had to outrun the growing flames behind me.
The demon had other ideas, however.
En masse, undersea kelp moving in unison with an unseen tide, the surviving tendrils all opened their straining jaws toward me and belched vile darkness.
This vitriol was the very definition of bad breath.
Dropping to the ground, I began to fire ahead into the mass of oncoming darkness, hoping the flames started by igniting the gelatinous blasts would counter the wave of deluminating filth billowing toward me.
Then I retracted the powersaw and lay flat on the tattered, slime-covered, tendril-laden esophagus, letting the flames advance and the sentry drone fire away while I prayed the ALOHA would protect me from anything that reached me.
Prone on the floor, drenched in unholy ichor, enveloped in life-sapping darkness, I came to a realization.
Life throws everything at you that you can take, and more.
Learning to take everything that’s thrown is life.
Especially when, like an orc lying face-down in offal, it’s full of crap.
Flames washed over me, but, thankfully, I did not burn.
But the blaze did burn away the filthy ichor and the fearsome darkness, leaving only ash in its place.
If I made it out of here alive, I owed Fluxcoil my deepest thanks.
The ALOHA shirt and pants, extended completely around me now, had kept me alive.
Risking exposure, I stood and looked about as my clothing returned to a more manageable shape. The fires I had started with the assault rifle had raged in all directions and were burning still. A wildfire unchecked, the flames laid low the ravenous tendrils and were now consuming the demon from the inside out.
The demon was a log being burnt by embers that would not be quenched.
And I was basking in the joyous warmth of those flames.
The infernal was also no longer moving.
I turned to the drone that had remained hovering above me throughout the ordeal. “Please assess status of the demonic entity and report.”
“Motive force enlivening the infernal has fled. Entity is deceased. Advise further corroboration at the monster’s fore.”
“Light it up!” I yelled, flowing the incandescent blasts of my guns as I walked forward.
Fires were burning all around, hungrily eating into the demon’s exterior wall. I was surprised by how cleanly the demon burned, for there was no smoke to be seen whatsoever. This could be an effect native to this plane, a property of the demon itself, how the demon reacted to flames, or something else entirely. Regardless, the fires assured the demon’s destruction and ensured my life.
That was a trade I could live with, because I didn’t plan to do anything other than live.
If life is born from the ashes of destruction and the fires of transformation, then I had been born anew.
I had never been more ready to watch some Wizarding.
Finally satisfied that the demon was no more, that it would be consumed in the mounting fires as the flames burnt into its flesh along the walls of its gullet, I activated the return band and went home.
39
“Decontamination in process!”
Waves of light and energy washed over and through me, burning away the residue of the demon’s virulent presence.
“It’s done,” I managed shakily.
Glad to have made it back alive, I left George to his job and collapsed on the floor.
Mounds of trash had never felt so good.
I came to in my bed, in a room full of glorious sunlight filtering through a sky shimmering above a cerulean sea. Gentle waves lapped in the surf at the foot of my bed while a refreshing salty breeze caressed my skin.
Where was I?
I tried to raise my head but found I was too tired, sapped of more energy than I had expected. My body must still be working hard to repair itself or something more fundamental that had been damaged.
“George?” My voice was but a whisper, far too dry and hesitant.
“Yes?”
“Where are we?”
“We are in the Lucaesian Quadrant, sir, while you recover.”
“What if another demon comes?”
“I doubt that will happen, sir. You have been an enticingly delectable treat, but nothing has come for you.”
“You left me exposed, waiting for the demon, or something like it, to return?”
“Only for a day or so, sir. When all was clear and you were stable, I returned you to your bed.
“Do not fear. I have been treating you the entire time.”
“And why didn’t you let me recover first before using me as bait, George? What if the demon had come back?”
“Then the cluster of sentry drones I had set hovering around you would have finished it off far more ably than you could, sir.”
“And why didn’t you have me bring more sentry drones the first time?”
“You seemed happy with your choice of armaments, sir. I have learned that you do not like me second-guessing you.”
I groaned. “If you think it will help me survive, second-guess away, George!”
“My pleasure, sir!”
“How long have I been out?”
“Just about a week. Not too long.”
“A week! What about the tournament? Will we have time to make it?” I couldn’t think. When was the tournament? Was it weeks away? Days?
My brain could not hold a thought. Answers passed through my mind like sand falling through spread fingers.
“We have plenty of time, sir. Just rest and recover. I will take care of everything else.”
“Do you need me for anything?”
I was tired. Just talking was wearing me out. Those demonic tentacles had taken far more out of me than I had realized.
“No, sir. I have alerted Fluxcoil of your success. He was most excited and appreciative. You can speak with him after you recover.
“Ships are starting to return, as well. I have only had to fight one off so far. The rest have been quite friendly. These are working to get the space station operating again soon.”
“Fight? Are we safe, George?”
I was slipping into darkness. My lids were too heavy to keep open any longer.
“All is well, sir. I am merely helping hold the region stable until other ships arrive.
“Wake when you wish. Rest and heal.”
George’s suggestion wasn’t so bad.
I had no choice but to listen.
40
The sounds of ins
ects trilling, undulant waves of atonal songs, filled the rich night air. Stars could be glimpsed overhead through the swaying branches of tall, sheltering trees. Moonbeams danced in the forest’s shadows, playing across the crumpled sheets on my bed.
I let the sounds of the wood, its cries and rustles, its whispers and innuendos, slowly bring me to wakefulness.
“Good day, sir. I am glad to see you with us.”
“Us?” I asked.
“Only in the figurative sense, sir. We are alone. The nearest vessels are servicing the space station.
“Would you like me to hail one? They have been most effusive in their thanks.”
“No, George,” I managed through reluctant lips. “I don’t need anything other than some food and drink. I’m famished.”
I felt better, though.
Much better.
“Your body has made quite the recovery, sir. I look forward to hearing about your adventures in the Abyss. They left quite the impression on you. You were in a most precarious place.
“It has been a challenge keeping enough food in you to meet your needs.”
At least I had been fed while I was out.
Now, I needed to put more food in.
I sat up slowly, feeling a bit lightheaded with the effort.
“Mind if I eat in bed, George?”
“Not at all, sir! You’ve already been doing that these past two weeks.”
Two weeks!
Would we have time to make the MWC?
My heart lurched with the thought. I felt almost as bad as when the demon had its tendrils wrapped all around me, nibbling my essence away in tentacle-sized bites.
“How long will it take us to get to the tournament, George?” I asked as vehemently as I could, for I still did not feel completely recovered, my voice full of concern.
“Just a few days, sir. We will not miss the festivities. Don’t you worry.”
I exhaled audibly.
My efforts had not been for naught.
“I hope not. I’ve been through too much to miss out on the fun.”
In retrospect, risking one’s life for fun was not always worth the risk.
“Understood, sir. What would you like to eat?”
“Everything,” I replied simply.
George complied nicely.
“Would you like to provide Fluxcoil with your personal account of the demonic encounter?”
I remained in my bed after eating, letting the piles of food settle as they would in the barren wastes of my desolate abdomen.
“Sure,” I said, not really in the mood to talk but willing to get it over with sooner rather than later. I was ready for another nap. With the way I had been sleeping, however, I might not wake up for another week, so I should while I had the chance.
“One moment.”
I could feel my eyes growing heavy.
George needed to hurry.
“Grak?” Fluxcoil’s voice filled the air, as warm as the gentle evening that had been projected around me.
“Can you bring his image up, George?”
“Certainly, sir.”
I sat up in bed, the ALOHA shirt a sedate blue sea rippling on my chest. “Howdy, Flux.”
“Glad to see you made it, Grak!”
Fluxcoil’s eyebrows bobbed animatedly as his face lit up upon seeing me. He was wearing an iridescent cone hat that perched nicely on his eyebrow shelf. To my eyes, he appeared to be wearing a frosted plastic hat filled with yellow-orange fireflies. His eyebrows were some wild variety of plant upon which the lightning bugs were perched.
“Same here.”
“George tells me your mission was a success?”
I bared my fangs. “The demon bit off more than it could chew.”
Fluxcoil nodded gravely. “What happened?”
I gave Flux the bullet point summary. “The demon grabbed me just about as soon as I left the ship’s pocket dimension. It must’ve been starving for some mortal flesh.
“The thing was bigger than an archmage’s ego. Inside, it was the size of a small cavern in the Undercity, filled with hordes of orc-eating tentacles that were determined to rend me limb from limb as soon as it swallowed me.
“I cut my way free with the powersaw and blew it in half with a choice selection of Paratechnological grenades. The back half burned in the resulting conflagration.
“The front, where I was, mounted a series of secondary magic and ethereal attacks that nearly did me in.
“When those tendrils went all ghostly, they could go right through the ALOHA to attack my essence.”
Fluxcoil looked grave. “I am sorry to hear that our protections failed you, Grak. We will make adjustments upon your return.”
“Thanks, Flux. Being eaten while still alive does not rank high on my list of top life experiences.
“After being ensnared again, I mowed down the swarm entangling me. With the help of a sentry drone, a shoulder-mounted cannon, and an assault rifle, I lit the inside of the demon up and made sure it burnt to ash.
“When the sentry drone confirmed the demon’s demise, I returned here to recover.
“The thing took far more of my life-force than I realized.”
I left the gory details at that, because I did not want to relive them.
“You have done us proud, Grak, and have most certainly earned your reward. If there is anything else you need on your vacation, you have but to ask.
“Alyon recognizes you as a hero, as do all the ships, their crews, and the people who rely on this station.”
If I could have blushed, I would have.
Thankfully, that was not one of my weaknesses.
Although I would gladly exchange that for immunity to demon tentacles.
“What’s next?” I asked, meaning for the space station and the Lucaesian Quadrant in general.
Fluxcoil understood my meaning. “The station will rebuild. George has helped keep the immediate region stable while you recovered as ships came in for that very purpose.
“We will continue to monitor the situation to make sure there are no more demonic entities on the prowl.
“The Omnispark willing, everything will return to normal, and our allies here will prosper and be able to exchange with us more frequently.”
I nodded. “If you do have another infernal in the vicinity, I would suggest having sentry drones accompany the crew. The drones could burn the demon up from within. It does not like fire.
“Give the crew personal shields that will automatically surround them as soon as they are threatened. They need to be able to keep those tentacles at bay while the drones do their work. Then the drones can port the crew member home if they are not a magic user.”
“Your counsel is much appreciated,” answered Fluxcoil. “We could certainly provide these contingencies to our trade allies.”
“Excellent,” I said, then changed the subject to more pressing matters. “So, who do you like in the Wizarding tournament?”
Fluxcoil had more thoughts on the matter than giant, ship-eating demons had tentacles.
Epilogue
“Are you ready for a vacation, sir?”
“Let’s jump!” I whooped enthusiastically from my chair, where I was doing anything but jumping.
My chair was too comfy to leave.
I could not wait. My dreams were about to come true!
I would be attending the Macroversal Wizarding Championships!
Not only that, I would be sitting in one of the best seats in the house, right at the edge of the protective shield nearest to the field of strife!
I would be so close that I could almost reach out and touch the action.
My heart skipped just thinking about it.
‘Excited’ was an understatement. I was giddier than a fanboy at a fan convention.
Or wherever fanboys went.
I was with them!
George’s voice was calm, cool, and more than collected as he counted down. “Jump in 3, 2, 1. Jump initiated.”
The universe contracted, darkening to an infinitesimal point, before exploding outward beyond my ability to comprehend, taking me along with it.
Jumping was only a bit more pleasurable than having my soul torn to shreds by the unholy mouthparts of the democtopus.
On the plus side, expanding to the size of the universe for an instant was kind of cool.
I was really glad to be back in my own body, though.
If I were the size of the universe, what would I eat?
Where would I sleep?
Questions like these could really keep an orc up at night, macroverse-sized bed or no.
“We have arrived at the Watanaban System, sir. From here, we have just a few more jumps to Halus 7.”
I knew we were not taking the most direct route to Halus 7 as soon as we arrived.
In fact, the Watanaban System looked an awful lot like the Lucaesian Quadrant.
Filamentous gas clouds filled the virtual viewscreen in the ship’s command room. Unlike the Lucaesian Quadrant, however, the filament density was far higher, and the gaseous region was clearly visible to the unaided eye.
There was also not a single space station or planet marked on the piloting display.
We were floating in a sea of pinkish-purple cotton candy laced with streams of rainbow-colored flavorings.
But there was no carnival to be seen.
“What are we doing here, George? Preparing for another jump?”
I knew why without asking.
George’s sightseeing mission was in full effect.
I really could not blame him, since we were both on vacation.
My destination and purpose were just different than his.
“The Watanaban nebula is one of the few intelligent nebulae cataloged in the macroversal literature, sir.
“And, by all accounts, it’s friendly and quite curious, particularly about other forms of intelligence, so I thought this would be a nice stop along the way.”
Just as I had thought. We were making a stopover at the scenic intergalactic overlook, just like in system XK23719, with the hive mind roiling around its star.
“I will make introductions and then stay in communication with the nebula as we move on to our next stop.”
Grak_Orc on Vacation Page 15
